Confidant Relations of the Aged (original) (raw)

The confidant relationship is a qualitatively distinct dimension of the emotional support system of the aged, yet the composition of the confidant network has been largely neglected in research on aging. Persons (N=940) 60 years of age and older were interviewed about their socio-environmental setting. From the enumeration of their relatives, respondents identified those with whom they were very close. Asymmetry of gender was prevalent in confidant relationships with children and siblings. Females were more constrained by asymmetry of gender; asymmetry restraints were strongest for the never-married and weakest for widows and widowers. Females were most likely to be confidant relatives in all cases. Although findings revealed greater reliance for confidant relations among the family of procreation than among the family of orientation, siblings compensated for the absence of children and spouses. Support for the continued strength of relations with siblings during advanced age was al...